Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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Mori Chu
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Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

Post by Mori Chu »

https://www.lawfareblog.com/bombshell-i ... ging-story

Is this what finally gets impeachment started? Probably not, but wow, what an international embarrassment.

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Indy
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

Post by Indy »

I will just get out in front of a few posters...

Hey, it can't be a leak if the President shared it. Also, he can declassify anything he wants. And we need Russia's help to defeat radical muslim terrorists. So there.

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ShelC
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

Post by ShelC »

That's been Trump's line as of now. And it's true. He can declassify whatever he wants...whether that's a sound decision is another discussion.

What I find myself debating is whether the journalist has a responsibility in NOT reporting that. I think it could do more harm to our national security to have that out there. It's not about silencing the press. For me, it's about a journalist reporting something that the public doesn't really need to know in order to make the President look bad and undermine him. It's essentially just gossip that could have real world implications. And I'm not screaming fake news or defending Trump's handling of classified information (which has been shaky at best). If I thought he was working as some secret double agent passing info onto the Russians to undermine US operations and hurt our allies, then this story would have more weight. I think, in general, he just doesn't know any better and speaks too freely. And even if that were the point of the article - to show his incompetence - it's still hurts our national security and our credibility with allies.

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Nodack
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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The President and several of his "guys" are accused of working with the Russians to defeat Hillary Clinton. They deny any meetngs and then after being told they are lyng about it by the intelligence community they come clean but, say there was no hanky panky going on. Trump just says the intelligence community is lying. Trump is accused of trying to get the FBI director of killing off the investigation and to pledge his allegience to Trump. Comey reportedly won't bend to Trumps will and tells Trump to take a hike. Comey then reportedly asks for more money for the investigation. Trump then fires Comey and comes up with several conflicting reasons for it and none of them are because Comey was investigating Trump. Trump calls all of Comeys statements lies.

Right after that Trump secretly meets with the Russians in the oval office and one of them is considered their top spy and was the guy Flynn was talking to when he was busted lying about it.No US media allowed and the Russians promised Trump they would keep a lid on it. Then the meeting is plastered all over Russian media with the two Russians making jokes about the Comey firing.

"Somebody leaks to a reporter that Trump was giving away classified info to the Russians in that secret meeting and you think the journalist should have sat on the story and not reported it? The reporter didn't give out any info about the classified info other than to say it was highly sensitive, especially to the country who shared the info. If the Russians were told that info then they might be sharing that info with countries such as Syria and Iran. I don't think any reporter on the planet would sit on that story. The reporter didn't give out classified material as far as I know, Trump did and to the wrong guys. The reporter just reported It and that is called checks and balances.

I can see where it might be national interest to keep a lid on a story. WWII. Japan sends over incendiary bomb balloons from Japan in hopes of lighting America on fire. Some do hit but, do little damage. Reporters are asked to sit on the story. Japan hears no news of the bombs going off and figures it was a failure and stops sending them.

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ShelC
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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I get all of that and I'm not denying it. But again, I just don't see Trump or his people as so malicious and against America that they're giving up US intel to Russia. McMaster and two other US officials were in the room and it wasn't a secret meeting. It was announced and the press knew about it. One Russian photographer was there for the photo op and went through all the protocols. It is odd no US media was allowed but it's not like it was just Trump and the Russians. I think Trump, as has been the case, simply talks off the cuff and doesn't even know what's classified or what he should or shouldn't be saying. I also think he's naive where he thinks he can speak normally to everyone and brag about certain things, like intelligence, without understanding the ramifications.

Going back to the story tho...the WaPo article didn't give any specifics but sure enough, the next day more leaks come out and it's been determined Israel was the source of the intel. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/worl ... .html?_r=0

So again, what good does this reporting do? If you really think Trump is trying to undermine the US and Israel by feeding info to Russia (and subsequently Iran), than that's a different conversation.

From the NY Times article
It was not clear whether the president or the other Americans in the meeting were aware of the sensitivity of what was shared. Only afterward, when notes on the discussion were circulated among National Security Council officials, was the information flagged as too sensitive to be shared, even among many American officials, the officials said. Intelligence officials worried that Mr. Trump provided enough details to effectively expose the source of the information and the manner in which it had been collected.
This could've been kept internal and brought to Trump's attention after the fact, that he needs to be more careful in sharing, or not sharing, specific intel. This type of reporting, to me, seemed more like a hatchet job.

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Indy
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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When the president is unknowingly compromising foreign intelligence assets, that is something his employers (us) need to know. That is why there is a free press in this country.

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Mori Chu
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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^ Indy is right. This is not a hatchet job. This is revealing a dangerous level of incompetence by our commander-in-chief, and it's something the public has the right to know.

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ShelC
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/form ... 13960.html
Brennan said Trump made a “serious mistake” when he reportedly shared sensitive intelligence with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, in an Oval Office meeting in early May. But this mistake wasn’t sharing intelligence; it was violating the protocol for doing so. “I shared intelligence with the Russians when I was the director of the CIA,” Brennan said. “But you share that through intelligence channels, and you make sure you word it in such as way as to not reveal sources and methods. President Trump didn’t do that.”

Brennan said the press coverage of Trump’s impromptu intelligence reveal was “hyperbolic” and possibly more damaging than anything Trump revealed. “The damage that was done is what was leaked in the aftermath, what was put in the media. The real damage to national security is the leaks.” He suggested, without saying so explicitly, that news accounts revealed more sensitive information than Trump did.
Well at least Brennan shares my sentiment! Crazy thing is, this seems to have turned into another non-story already with the other stuff going on.

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SDC
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians
this is just plain stupid. (edit: i'm not referring to trump, sorry)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html

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Mori Chu
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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The GOP talking point that "leakers" are the ones who are really to blame is such brainwashed garbage. It's an attack on a free press and on the freedom to question and check on your own government. This administration is so deeply and brazenly corrupt and evil, it blows my mind. It makes W and his people seem like kittens by comparison. I don't think history will look kindly on this President or administration at all.

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Mori Chu
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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I never know what thread to put this stuff in. There's a new bombshell every day or week. Any one of these things would have sunk a previous administration.

This time, Jared Kushner seems to have worked to set up a private comm channel to Russia's government. Wat?!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... 5b1d24326a

Also, the Senate Intelligence Committee (one of the groups investigating Trump et al for their Russia stuff) has asked their campaign staff to hand over 100% of their emails and communications for fear that they contain stuff about Russia.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... n-over-all

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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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My dad told me that he listened to a bunch of stuff on Kushner and they put a lot of coincidences on him that made him seem like the Antichrist. He felt a little creepy about him afterwards.
"When we all think alike, nobody is thinking" - Walter Lippmann
"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them." ~ Frederick Douglass

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Nodack
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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I was told by somebody that Kushner and Ivanka were Democrats.

Then again people have been saying that the Portlnad white supremacist murderer guy was a Bernie supporter who hated Trump. I find that real difficult to believe but, that's the rumor being posted a lot.

So much "fake news" being promoted and it's not CNN, although since Trump declared war on CNN you can tell they have an axe to grind. Obama was good for FOX News ratings. Trump is President and now MSNBC just grabbed the top spot as FOX struggles with scandals and a divided Republican party landing at #3.

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Mori Chu
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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Trump reportedly is going to give two embassies back to Russia on US soil that were taken away by President Obama because Russia was using them to spy on us. Well all righty then.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... story.html

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Mori Chu
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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Trump has also announced that he is waiving many of the White House ethics rules for new administration appointees. What? In what way is this "draining the swamp" or "making America great again"?

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/3 ... ics-239011

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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

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In what way is this "draining the swamp" or "making America great again"?
That is not his intent. And considering those are very subjective terms, he can always claim he is succeeding. It works great for him and fools his supporters to continue to support him.

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Superbone
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Re: Trump leaks classified ISIS intel to the Russians

Post by Superbone »

Indy wrote:
In what way is this "draining the swamp" or "making America great again"?
That is not his intent. And considering those are very subjective terms, he can always claim he is succeeding. It works great for him and fools his supporters to continue to support him.
That's not a hard thing to do.
"Be Legendary."

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